Be prepared for war with China: Ramdev

‘If China was open to the idea of peace, then Dalai Lama wouldn't have been here’

New Delhi: Amid the escalating strain in the relationship between India and China, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday reiterated that India needs to be prepared on all fronts for a possible war with China, if they don't reciprocate on peaceful terms.

Addressing the World Peace and Harmony Conclave, Ramdev said, "If China was open to the idea of peace, then the Dalai Lama wouldn't have been here." He said that China has retaliated with a war threat every time India approached on peaceful terms, and asked Indians to answer them on the same front. "We should be ready with any kind of answer they seek. If they don't understand peace, we should answer them with war," he said.

He also said that China is an epitome of 'promoting war and hatred' in the world, further reiterating his appeal to boycott Chinese goods. "All the Indians who feel for their country should boycott Chinese goods immediately."

Earlier, Ramdev had asked all the people in the country to ban Chinese products which would reduce their market in the country.

"Indians should strictly ban the purchase of Chinese products. This will reduce their market in our country and they would be compelled to step back," he said. Union minister Jitendra Singh has played down the heightened rhetoric by Beijing over the Doklam standoff, stating that India was fully equipped to face any challenge.

He said the government was confident about the steps it was taking in this regard. "We are well equipped to face any challenge whether externally or internally," Singh told reporters in Jammu. The MoS PMO was responding to a question about the recent 'threat' by China through its official media asking India to withdraw troops from the Sikkim sector.

"I think for us the more important thing is to see what we are doing. I am not here to respond to what somebody is tweeting from the opposition parties. We are confident about what we are doing," he said.